The Office of Highway Safety Planning today announced a new public information campaign to coincide with tomorrow's implementation of Kelsey's Law, which prohibits teen drivers from talking on a cell phone.

The campaign, fueled by federal traffic safety funds, will include billboards, posters and brochures designed to encourage compliance.

"The largest contributing factors to teen traffic crashes are inexperience and immaturity. Driver distractions only exacerbate these situations so we hope teens will remember to put their phone in park," OHSP Director Michael L. Prince said today in a release.

Kelsey's Law, introduced by Sen. Howard Walker or Traverse City and signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder, prohibits cell phone use by young drivers with a Level 1 and Level 2 graduated license.

Teens drivers caught breaking the new law will face a civil infraction, which carries a fine of up to $100 in addition to court costs and fees of up to $100.

Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, who joined Prince for a press conference this morning at the Kellogg Center in Lansing, encouraged parents and guardians to talk to their teens about the dangers of distracted driving.

Bonnie Raffaele stands beside a photo of her late daughter, Kelsey, during a press conference at the Michigan Capitol on December 3, 2012.Jonathan Oosting | MLive.com

The new law is named after Kelsey Raffaele, a teenager from Sault St. Marie who died in a 2010 car crash while talking on her cell phone. Her mother, Bonnie Raffaele, spearheaded the teen cell phone ban, making regular appearances in Lansing to urge the legislature for action.

"I can't begin to tell you how much this law means to my family," said Raffaele. "To be able to play a role in saving the lives of others, because we know Kelsey’s Law will save lives, leaves me speechless. Kelsey is dancing in heaven today, knowing that lives will be saved because of her."

While the letter of the law is fairly straightforward, police and prosecutors say enforcement could be pose problems, as officers will be asked to make traffic stops based on the apparent age of a driver, a criteria which has not been tested in court.

More than 30 other states have similar laws in place. Michigan's specifically applies to the graduated license program, which includes drivers between the age of 14 years, 9 months and 17 years old.

Young drivers talking on cell phones are far more likely to be involved in crashes than their older counterparts, according to a 2012 analysis by MLive Media Group. Since 2002, one in five drivers using a cell phone during a crash was a teen.

Jonathan Oosting is a Capitol reporter for MLive Media Group. Email him, find him on Google+ or follow him on Twitter.